"I think we're building something here. It kind of reminds me of our team last year. We finally found out what's working for us, and we're playing our game and playing to our strengths."

That was Columbus winger Matt Calvert talking about his team's play the past three games, two shutout wins, followed by the tough one-goal loss in Pittsburgh Tuesday night.

One of the signs for Calvert is the team's cycling, which he says has been strong the past three games, and adds it's just a matter of putting it in the back of the net. That's exactly what Calvert did after a beautiful feed from Mark Letestu, for the only goal in the 2-1 loss to the Penguins.

But that loss aside, the Blue Jackets have been a force the past three games, and they've been a team that was clearly not outworked and was clearly tough to face. That was the mantra last season during the run of success, but the team hasn't been able to find that game as consistently this year.

Has it clicked, finally? Three games certainly don't comprise a broad enough brush stroke to say the Blue Jackets are poised for another run, but the games against the Lightning, Wild, and Penguins could be a strong indicator of better days to come. And winger Blake Comeau says playing the "right way" comes down to the team's defensive zone first.

"I think it's when we're playing good, structured hockey in our defensive zone we come out of the zone in waves of three with the defensemen jumping in late, and we create opportunities that way," Comeau said. "I think when we're playing well, we're getting the puck in deep and forechecking well.